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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Saturday Spotlight - Shawna K Williams

Good Morning Friends and Welcome to the first Saturday Spotlight for November!

Wow, can you believe we are winding down this year already?!

Today, please join me in welcoming a new friend, Shawna K Williams with her book, In All Things sequel to her debut novel, No Other. But first a little about Shawna in her own words....

I'm a lot of things: a Christian, wife, mother, friend, author, artist, rock hound, science geek and animal lover. The first four take priority. The rest tend to jostle for my attention. Since I'm always a dreamer, author usually wins.

Indeed, my first two books are the result of a dream -- an actual dream. It nagged me for six months as I mentally tried to fill in all of the gaps. I finally had to write it down. Since then, God has continued to bless with me inspiration at times of His choosing.

Technically, I'm an Inspirational Romance writer. But I like to think that romance includes more than the relationship between two people. It can also be about the era or place, or even a single moment in time, when an elusive whisper reaches inward and ever so gently taps the soul, saying, "This. Remember this."

It's my desire that my stories create such a moment.

Some of my methods for filling my creative reservoir are reading about the histories of small towns, pouring over old photos in antique shops and people's homes (if I'm at yours, I'll ask to see your picture albums) and asking prying questions about your best family stories. Oh! And if you ever see a lady on the side of the road, taking pictures of old, dilapidated houses and buildings, it's probably me.

Meredith Louis's Hollywood career is at a point of transition. No longer under Majestic Studios' control, Meri is free to broaden her appeal as an actress and finally earn the recognition she desires.

Meri and Jakob return to their hometown for the holidays where Meri hopes to reconcile with her parents after a decade of silence. But after a disastrous encounter, Meri is plunged into turmoil as old fears resurface in unexpected ways.

Jakob, already dealing with unresolved family issues of his own, is further burdened by his inability to help his wife. Can he learn to step aside and trust God's plan.Will Meri recognize what she already has?

In All Things is a story of faith and restoration, cemented in the belief, "...that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Excerpt: Meri crept into the bedroom after getting her baby boys down for the night. Eight months old and the twins were finally sleeping a full six hours in a row. Jakob lay sprawled out on top of the bed covers, listening to the broadcast of the Shamrock Hotel's grand opening. He'd marveled over its architectural design during the final months of the building's construction, saying it was a delicate balance of bulk and elegance, a modernistic French chateau. Whatever that meant?

At $42 per ticket, attending the event was beyond the realm of possibilities. She knew that he ached to see inside, though. Maybe after the hubbub died down, they could dress up and sneak into the lobby. Pretend to be guests as they strolled about.

Meri crawled onto the bed and snuggled close. "Anything interesting?"

"Oh yeah. This thing is huge. Did you know that's Dorothy Lamour?"

Meri listened closely to the full-bodied, charismatic voice emanating through the airwaves as it introduced a host of celebrities -- Errol Flynn, Ginger Rogers, Robert Preston.

"Wow, sounds like some party they're having."

"A little while ago she announced there were fifty thousand people outside the hotel. That can't be right. Do you think?"

Meri shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

Jakob rolled onto his back. Meri laid her head on his chest as he ran his hand through her hair. Neither spoke as they listened to the increasingly rowdy festivities. It sounded like champagne was flowing in abundance.

"You should be there," Jakob said.

Over a year of marriage and the birth of their boys, and Jakob still punished himself as though he deprived her of something important. There was a strong possibility that her parents were at the opening. It was being touted as the biggest social event in Houston's history, so her mother wouldn't want to miss it. But Meri didn't care. All she wanted was Jakob. He fulfilled her.

"No. I should be here with you."

Miss Lamour broke out in song, and several not so talented voices joined in. Meri snickered.

"I meant that you should be a guest of honor, a celebrity -- invited to celebrate."

"Don't be silly."

He stopped playing with her hair and tipped her chin up toward him. "Let's move to Los Angeles."

"What?"

"I want your dreams to come true."

"What are you talking about?"

"You want to be an actress."

"Oh, Jakob. That doesn't matter anymore." She laid her head back onto his chest. "I'm a wife and a mother. You've got your job and school. Besides, we wouldn't even know where to start."

He lay still for a minute, and then his fingers ran through her hair again. "What if I figured something out?"

"Such as?"

"I don't know yet."

Meri giggled. She pushed herself up and kissed him on the lips. "I love you." Jakob's deep blue eyes held her gaze. Wheels were definitely turning in there. "What are you thinking?"

"I promise you, Meri. Somehow, I'm gonna make it happen."

A buzz of drunken laughter crackled through the radio at their bedside, drowning out Dorothy Lamour as she continued in song. Then a single word burst through the noisy clamor.

Meri covered her mouth. "Did he just say..."

The broadcast cut off and static buzzed from the radio's speaker.

She and Jakob looked at each other with widened eyes.

"I think so." A smile covered his face. He wrapped his arms around her, and rolled her beneath him as they laughed. "I wonder how they'll write that up in the papers?"

"As a warning against live broadcast in the excess of champagne." Meri fought to catch her breath. "I can't believe that happened."

Jakob hovered over her with a gentle smile and tender eyes. She reached up and brushed his cheek with her fingers.

"Believe in me, Meri. Will you believe in me?"

It seemed so crazy. What did he plan to do? Knock on Louis B. Mayer's door. This is my wife. She wants to be an actress. Yet, the conviction in his eyes overwhelmed all reason, and from her lips she heard the words, "I do." And it was the truth.